Slaty Skimmer vs Twin-spotted Spiketail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Slaty Skimmer Twin-spotted Spiketail
Scientific Name Libellula incesta Cordulegaster maculata
Order Odonata Odonata
Family Libellulidae Cordulegastridae
Size 45-52 mm 68-78 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Slaty Skimmer

A dark, slate-blue dragonfly of eastern North America. Mature males are uniformly dark blue-black, making them distinctive at ponds.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few North American dragonflies where males are almost entirely dark blue-black.

Twin-spotted Spiketail

A large, dark brown spiketail with paired yellow spots on each abdominal segment. It is the most common spiketail in eastern North America.

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Did You Know?

Its larvae lie partially buried in stream-bottom leaf litter and ambush passing prey.